Overheard
by Tracy-Lou
Summary: Doug finds himself caught in the middle of Brendan and Ste's troublesome relationship. One-Shot.


Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Hollyoaks!

Summary: Doug finds himself caught in the middle of Brendan and Ste's troublesome relationship. One-Shot.

Overheard

Doug was finally beginning to see things falling into place. He had good friends, a home and a new business to occupy him, what could possibly be wrong with that? It was unusual how it had all come about; he and Ste had never really seen eye to eye before for reasons Doug was unsure of. He didn't know much of Ste's history, only that him and Amy had a troubled past together and that Ste had come out a while back.

Well, that wasn't strictly true. Doug knew all about Ste's relationship with Brendan, even though he would never dare mention it to him. He had heard a great deal of village gossip on the subject but he tended to blank most of that out. The majority of what he knew came from his own experiences with Brendan. The man was certainly irascible and Doug could only imagine what being romantically involved with him was like but he had his suspicions.

As an unspoken rule, Doug and Ste didn't discuss relationships. It transpired one evening however at Doug's flat that the subject was breached. After a long day at work they had gone back to Doug's with leftover food and had acquiredsome alcohol to compliment it. Doug learnt that evening that Ste could not hold his drink. An hour in and he was already pushed right against Doug's side, his head lolling on Doug's shoulder.

"Aw, Dougie I love you"

Doug chuckled, pushing him away a little. "That's nice"

"I'm so glad I don't hate you anymore"

"Hm" Doug raised his eyebrows. "Thanks"

"Well I didn't hate you" Ste began to explain. "I was a little jealous though sometimes"

"Jealous?" Doug frowned. "Of what?"

"Brendan seemed to take an interest" Ste muttered. "He thought I didn't know"

Doug's eyes widened. "It wasn't like that. I just…worked for him"

"So did I" Ste sat up, rubbing at his head. "I don't anymore though"

"I know" Doug said softly. "You wanna talk about it?"

Ste shook his head furiously. He paused for a moment before speaking again.

"He humiliated me" he said so quietly Doug had to strain to hear him. "I tried not to let it show but… he fired me, just like that"

"I heard…" Doug said awkwardly. "He was out of line"

"You don't know the half of it" Ste took his hands away from his face.

"We don't have to talk about this" Doug said quickly. "Unless you want to"

"You wouldn't want to know" Ste said, his voice hoarse. He stood up, swaying slightly. "I need the toilet"

"You know where it is" Doug said, standing with him in case he toppled over.

Once he had disappeared up the stairs, Doug went to the kitchen to make them some coffee. He had just turned the kettle on when there was an insistent knocking at the door.

"Alright! Jeez, I'm coming" Doug flung open the door, rooted to the spot when he realised who it was. "Brendan"

"Douglas" Brendan nodded, pushing his way in. His eyes flickered around the flat, searching.

"What do you want?" Doug crossed his arms.

"Hm, nothing" Brendan blinked a few times, peering up the stairs.

Doug laughed, shaking his head. "Did you follow us here?"

Brendan bared his teeth a little. "I don't know what ye mean"

Doug rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid, Brendan. I know you've been watching us"

Brendan's eyes narrowed. "Ye don't know anything"

"I know that Ste's a mess" Doug said, gritting his teeth in suppressed anger. He'd grown quite fond of Ste in their brief time together.

Brendan's expression darkened. Doug could see the regret there and it threw him a little.

"Is he here?" He asked quietly.

"What's it to you?"

Brendan took a deep breath. "Is he here?" he repeated, monotone.

Doug sighed, glancing up the stairs. "Yes"

Brendan made a sudden move to the staircase but Doug grabbed his arm.

"Oh no you don't"

Brendan smiled, dangerous and deadly. "Get yer hand off me, Douglas"

"He isn't himself right now"

"What are ye talking about?" Brendan shook him off.

"He's had too much to drink"

Brendan looked down. "He can't hold his alcohol"

"Well I know that"

Brendan looked torn for a moment. "Can ye do something for me?"

Doug frowned. "Alright…"

"Can ye make sure he gets home okay?"

Doug looked at him carefully, seeing nothing but genuine concern. "Of course. I was going to let him crash here anyway"

"Right. Good" Brendan nodded as if to himself. He moved to the front door but froze when he heard a voice drifting down the stairs.

"I'm sorry I brought him up, Doug. You aren't annoyed are you?"

Doug eyed Brendan, willing him to leave. Brendan crossed his arms, unmoving.

Doug sighed. "Its fine, Ste. Let's not talk about it now, yeah?"

"I feel sick" Ste groaned.

"Oh, mate" Doug glanced at Brendan whose stance stiffened. "I'll come up"

"No, don't. I'm a state"

"I'll get you a drink" Doug glared at Brendan. "You need to leave, right now"

Brendan's jaw tightened. "Once I know he's alright"

Doug groaned aloud.

"Are you okay, Doug? I annoyed you, didn't I?"

"No, Ste of course not" Doug said, willing him to shut up.

"I just don't really have anyone to talk to about it. Amy won't hear his name in the flat"

"Course not, guy's a dick" Doug said, taking great pleasure in seeing Brendan sneer at him. "Look, Ste-"

Brendan shook his head warningly. "If ye tell him it'll make it worse"

"Just leave" Doug hissed.

"No"

"Everything alright, Doug?" Ste called, his voice muffled.

"Yeah, fine" Doug went to get Ste's drink. Brendan had taken to perching on the edge of the sofa. "You wanna crash here, mate?"

"Oh I don't know…" Ste coughed quite excessively.

"I can call Amy for you" Doug offered, taking a paperweight Brendan had taken to fiddling with out of his hands.

"Yeah, please" Ste's voice was getting quieter. Doug could see Brendan straining to hear him, intense discomfort on his face.

Doug was struck with a sudden idea. "Ste? Why don't you go straight to bed? You can take mine"

Brendan looked at him sharply, his eyes warning him to be quiet. Doug smiled in satisfaction.

"Are you coming on to me, Doug?"

Doug laughed. "Don't be silly. Just you aren't well, get some sleep"

"I couldn't…" Ste said, his voice choked. Doug's smile faded. "I didn't tell you something about today"

"It can wait…" Doug said, growing more anxious by the minute.

"I saw Brendan" Ste gulped. "He barely even looked at me"

Doug shook his head in despair. "He's not worth your time"

"I know that" Doug could hear Ste repositioning himself. "But I still care, after everything he's done. I can't stop thinking about him, I can't sleep-"

Doug stuffed his fist into his mouth.

"He just saunters around the place like he's done nothing wrong and I hate him so much for it"

Brendan stood up, his face blank. He walked towards the door. Doug breathed a sigh of relief.

"But despite everything, I still love him. How fucked up is that?"

Doug closed his eyes, resigned to the inevitable.

"I promised myself when he got out of prison that I would stay clear of him, but I was just so angry I couldn't help myself. And he always comes to me, no matter what"

"He can't stay away" Doug said, looking directly at Brendan. "He pretends he doesn't care but that's the problem, isn't it? He cares too much. He can't bear the idea that he could love someone, that they could hold that kind of power over him. So he rejects it, he closes himself to that person, the one who could change everything"

Brendan gave Doug a hard look. He glanced towards the stairs as though making a decision. Doug didn't have it in him to stop him. He followed Brendan up the stairs, ready for the inevitable backlash. However, they were both surprised to find Ste curled up asleep on the floor.

Doug closed the toilet seat, looking down at Ste sympathetically.

"You need to leave" he whispered to Brendan. "In case he wakes up"

"He might have passed out" Brendan said, running a hand over his face.

"I'll take care of him" Doug said, his voice steely.

"Is that your job now?" Brendan asked coolly.

"Maybe it is" Doug said defiantly. "Who else will?"

Brendan looked away, troubled. "Which way to your room?"

"Second on the left" Doug said quickly. "Why?"

Brendan bent down and carefully pulled Ste into his arms. "Can't leave him here, can we?"

Doug sighed, following him out the room. The care with which Brendan placed Ste on the bed and pulled the covers over him would have been heart-warming to someone who didn't know him. Doug did feel a small amount of sympathy towards him however; it wasn't easy to hear the worst about yourself.

"He can't know I heard all that" Brendan said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed and smoothing his fingers over Ste's now flattened hair.

Doug sat down in his seat. "Why won't you just leave him alone? And why do you pretend not to care? I was there today; when Ste looked away from you, you watched him until he was out of sight"

"I'm not going to discuss this with ye, Douglas" Brendan said, running his fingers over Ste's cheek. "Ye wouldn't understand"

"You don't think I understand how it feels to lose someone you love? To feel let down by them? I know it only too well"

Brendan tore his eyes away from Ste long enough to stare Doug down.

"It isn't the same. Ye don't know what I've done to him, put him through. He's better off thinking I'm a cold bastard and he isn't the only one" Brendan had a wistful look in his eyes that Doug couldn't figure out.

"But he's miserable. He tries his best but…" Doug shook his head. "If you love him so much, why don't you fight for him?"

Brendan smiled darkly. "I'm no good for him. I'm better off staying away"

"Don't you think that's up to him to decide? If I just told him you were here like this-"

"No" Brendan said sharply. "He can't know" Brendan looked at Doug quickly, his eyes darting and troubled. Doug wondered why until he saw Brendan close his hand over Ste's. "Sometimes the kindest thing ye can do for the person ye love is leave them alone, let them live their life"

"That's mad" Doug said, exasperated.

"And in the meantime" Brendan continued as though he hadn't heard Doug. "Find whoever ye can to fill that void, but don't get close to them. That's the key" Brendan laughed bitterly. "People leave, they fuck ye up. The best thing ye can do is forget feeling and sentiment. Just live day by day, doing whatever ye can to exist alone. It's the only way"

"But it isn't" Doug said, leaning forwards. "I would give anything to have Bex back but that will never happen. You still have the chance to make this right, to keep the one you love. You stay away because you're scared, simple as"

Brendan looked at him; clearly Doug had struck a nerve.

"I'm not scared of anything"

"Really?" Doug looked at Ste. "What if he didn't exist? What if he was taken away from you, like Bex was from me?"

Brendan winced. "It won't happen. Not while I'm still breathing"

"Why can't you tell him that?" Doug was getting more and more wound up. "Why don't you just be honest for once in your life and admit how you feel? You might surprise yourself"

"I'm not here for a lecture" Brendan said gruffly, rubbing his thumb over Ste's hand.

"Then why are you here? Why did you come here tonight?"

Brendan was struck speechless for a moment. "I… I don't know" he admitted, looking baffled. "I just found myself outside yer door. I had to know what was going on…"

"We're just two friends, coming home after a day's work"

"I know that" Brendan said softly. "I can't explain…"

Ste began to make snuffling noises in his sleep. Brendan smiled and Doug was struck by how genuine it was. He'd never seen Brendan like that before.

"When he wakes up…"

"Ye tell him nothing" Brendan said, his voice clipped. He rose from the bed. "Ye hear me? Nothing" Brendan bent down and kissed Ste's forehead, his lips lingering that moment too long. Ste began to stir.

"Brendan?" he mumbled sleepily.

Brendan backed out the room without another word.

"Alright, mate?" Doug asked gently.

"Did I fall asleep?" Ste asked, confused.

"Yeah, you aren't too well"

Ste rubbed absently at his forehead.

"What is it?" Doug asked cautiously.

"Nothing" Ste said. "Just felt kinda prickly"

Doug couldn't help smiling. "You sleep here. I'll go downstairs"

"It's fine" Ste said. "I'll move"

"You haven't got the energy for that" Doug pointed out.

Ste sighed. "No" he admitted. "Stay here then? Plenty of room" Ste shuffled over. "Promise I won't try it on with you" he smiled. Doug couldn't help smiling back.

He climbed beneath the covers, a little cramped in the circumstances. Ste was already falling asleep again.

"I think you're my best friend" he said, muffled.

"That's nice to hear" Doug said, smiling as Ste's head fell against his shoulder. "I think you're mine too" he said quietly. _And that's why I won't tell you who was here _he thought silently to himself. _Not yet. _


End file.
